World timepiece

ABSTRACT

A timepiece for showing the time in different time zones which comprises a dial with a plurality of apertures which has under it a disc having the numbers or hours of the different time zones arranged at positions along a circle corresponding to the positions of the said apertures and suitable operating elements to rotate said disc by one step corresponding to 1 hour of the rotation of the minute hand.

"United states Pate 'Zolietal." I I p [is] 3,702,056 9 1451 Nov.'7 1972.

[54] WORLD TIMEPIECE inventors: ArmandolZolifLuigi Zoli; Giuseppe VFini, all of via della 'Foscherara, 29

, Bologna, Italy Filed: March 5, 1971 Appl. No.: 121,290

Foreign A rplica ltion Priority Data March 9, 1970 f Italy...".....-....33 61 A170 Field of Search... ..5s/42.s,43, 44,58

' References Cited v UNITED" STATES PATENTS t 1 2,056,038 9/1936 DeAngelisetal. ..5s/43 Us-Cl. ..-.';.-s8/43 Int. Cl. .0041; 19/3312,456,12212/1948 Guilden, ..5s/43 2,128,970 9/1938 ,Smyser etal...58/43 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Primary Examiner-Richard B.Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Edith C. Simmons Jackmon Attorney-GuidoModiano and Albert Josif 2 ABSTRACT A timepiece for showing the time indifferent time zones which comprises a dial with a plurality ofapertures which has under it a disc having the numbers or hours of thedifferent time zones arranged at positions along a circlecorrespondingto the positions of the said apertures and suitableoperating elements to rotate said disc by one step corresponding to 1hour of the rotationof the minute hand.

. 1 cum, 2 Drawing Figures 4/ 1 964 Switzerland ..58/42.5

wil

, WORLD TIMEPIECE BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION 'The present inventionrelates to a world timepiece or, in particular for indicating thetime indifi'erent time zones. v

At present inltalyf watches cal led meridian? are known and conceivedfor telling the timein regions situated in different time zones. Thesewatches. comprise a dial orjlface on which the minute hand rotates,while the time .corresponding to the different time .zones appears'onthe dial through aperturesor boxes provided onsaid dial andmarked'with the number of the time zones and/or with names of cities.The .hour

numbers are arranged on a disc which is under the dial" and whichrotates one pace or step every hour. To

know for examplethe local time, the minutes on the disc indicated by'therelative hand, are read, while the hour-isifound in the boxcorresponding to the'time zone.

I With said watches the looking .for the time is I nevertheless not verypractical, because it forces the observer-to resolve by memory, theobservation of the positioning of the minute hand on the dial by thereadpears on the box of the disc. I

1 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention consistsin the conceiving of a watch which also allowsthe showing of the timezones, and permits a reading of the whole similar to that ofconventional types.

' ing of the number corresponding to the time which aptions of thewheels 3,5 are in a ratio of 12 1 or 24 l to each other depending uponthe type of watch either,

partial, that is with 12 hours on the dia l, or global, with 13',provided along a circle on the dial 7 and marked This object is achievedby a world timepiece com- 7 prising a dial provided with a plurality ofapertures arranged along a circle, a disc having numbers correspondingto the time zones, arranged along a circle with latitude degrees or withnames of cities. In order to allow a perfect alignment of the time zoneswith the apertures 13, the disc 12 can be moved with respect to thewheel by means of friction on the shoulder 1 1.

The teeth 14 of the wheel 10 are saw-toothed shaped and the number ofteeth is equal to that of the, hours marked on the disc 12, that is 12or 24.

With the wheel 10, an arm 15, co operates ,mounted on a pin 16 andoperated by a toothed wheel 17 which receives motion'from the reductiongear 4. The toothed .wheel 17- is of dimensions equal to that of thewheel 3 so that the arm rotates synchronously with the minutehand 8 andwith each rotation, it makes the toothed wheel 10 and therefore the disc12, advance one step in an anticlockwise direction. v r 1 To maintainthe toothed wheel 10 in position, a pawl 18, is provided, pivoted at 19and underthe action of a spring 20 fixed by a screw 21 to the watch caseor more precisely to the so-said round plate. Said pawl 18 is shaped ina way to be able to impart a jerk to the'disc 12 when the point ofthetooth 14 has surpassed the crest 22 of the pawl. It is thus'possibleto shorten the time during which the number of the disc 12 staysparunder said apertures, which is characterized by the fact that itfurther comprises a toothed wheel rigid to said disc. and connected withthe operating element of the watch in a way toadvance a step in theanticlockwise direction,corresponding to 1 hour of every rotation of theminute hand and elements for the resilient retaining of said toothedwheel at the end of each step. I v v BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGDESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT i The watch in object comprisesa'central pin 1 on which a brush 2, is superimposed by pressure, andprovided with a toothed wheel 3. Said toothed wheel 3,.

which receives through the pin 1 motion from the motor elements of thewatch (not illustrated because they are of conventional type), is inengagement through a reduction gear 4 with a toothed wheel 5 rigid to abush 6 coaxial to the bush 2. The number of rotatially covered by theinterspaces between the apertures 13. I The operating of the inventionis easily realizable.

'With each rotation of the minute hand 8, there also corresponds arotation of the arm 15, and therefore of k the wheel 10, which will makethe disc 12 advance one step in an anticlockwise direction. While, then,the local time can be learned by reading the position of the hands 8, 9,aslin conventional watches, thatof the other time zones is read on thecorresponding aperture 13. For example if in New York the local time is7 in the morning, at Los Angeles it is 4 in the morning. i

If it is desired to synchronize the hand 9 to the time on the Chicagotime zone (that is carrying it from the hour 7 to the hour 6 as in FIG.1). The winder is operated in the direction in which the arm 15 engages,

.not the front, but the back of the teeth 14. There thus takes place amovement of the wheel 10 in a clockwise direction, which nevertheless,as soon as the end of the arm 15 has surpassed the crest of the tooth14, returns to its departing position by the effect of the pawl 18. in 9hands independent from that of the disc of the time t zones Theinvention is susceptible to numerous'modifica tions and changes allfalling within the inventive concept. When it is desired to select themorning times provided. Naturally it is also possible to use a disc onwhich all the 24 time zones are provided, while instead the dial of thewatch is provided with 12 dictions. In this case the transmission ratioof the toothed wheel 17 and the number of teeth of the toothed wheelwill be changed.

We claimz from the afternoon times, the use of a bicolored disc is 1. Atimepiece comprising a dial provided with a plu- 'rality of aperturesarranged along a circle, a disc having numbers corresponding to the timezones, arranged along a circle under said apertures, a toothed wheelrigid to saiddiscand connected with the operating elements of the" timepiece in a way to advance a step in the anticlockwisedirection;corresponding to 1 hour of berance.

every rotation of the minutehand and elements for the resilientretaining of said toothed wheel at the end of I elements comprise a pawlpivoted at one end and urged with one side against said toothed wheel byresilient means, a crest protuberance beingforrned at said side in orderto impart a jerk to said wheel when the point of each tooth of saidwheel has surpassed said crest protu-

1. A timepiece comprising a dial provided with a plurality of aperturesarranged along a circle, a disc having numbers corresponding to the timezones, arranged along a circle under said apertures, a toothed wheelrigid to said disc and connected with the operating elements of the timepiece in a way to advance a step in the anticlockwise direction,corresponding to 1 hour of every rotation of the minute hand andelements for the resilient retaining of said toothed wheel at the end ofeach step; wherein, according to the improvement, said toothed wheelrigid to the time zones disc has saw-toothed shaped teeth on the frontof the which an arm is engaged connected to a toothed wheel pulled bythe gearing which couples the motion of the minute hand with that of thehour hand and wherein said retaining elements comprise a pawl pivoted atone end and urged with one side against said toothed wheel by resilientmeans, a crest protuberance being formed at said side in order to imparta jerk to said wheel when the point of each tooth of said wheel hassurpassed said crest protuberance.